A/N: Wow, it's late. So sorry, I got caught up watching Unstoppable and Vampires Suck, my bad. Anyways, I have the next update. Stay tuned for the other author's note at the end of the chapter. It's super important.

Chapter Fifteen: It Helps to Talk

"I think I should get home."

Nicole looks at Sam with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you sure you are ready for that?"

Sam hands her phone over to Nicole.

"They've been calling me non-stop. I never actually told them that I was leaving. I'm sure I'm in trouble."

"All you can do is face the music and hopefully everything will be okay."

Sam stands up from the floor and stretches.

"Thanks for talking to me Nicole. It's helped a lot."

"It's not a problem, but I'm sure if you talked to Brooke that maybe you'll find answers to your questions. Whether you want to believe it or not, you're a lot like Brooke. She's the person you want to talk to."

Sam bites her lip in hesitation. Everyone had kept telling her that. Maybe everyone had a point. Maybe she did need to talk to Brooke.

"I'll call you later."

Nicole smiles. "I'll close up," Nicole says as she digs out her keys.

Sam walks out the door and heads home.

-WLOM-

"…Thanks anyway, Peyton. Julian or I will call you if when know anything…I will, bye."

"It sounds like Peyton doesn't know where she is either."

Brooke slams the phone down on her console and sighs.

"No, she hasn't and now I'm just pissed," Brooke turns to Julian with a serious thought. "I think we should nail her window shut."

"Brooke, she's just dealing with some stuff right now. It will get better."

"What if she doesn't Julian? Can someone really get over the death of their mother?"

"I don't know. I've never lost mine."

Brooke and Julian were too engrossed in their conversation to hear the front door open and close. Sam came in and just stood there listening to them.

"I haven't lost mine either Julian. But I never really had one to begin with."

"But I lost mine."

Brooke and Julian's heads turn towards the front door as Sam steps forward more.

"I don't know if I'll ever be okay. I didn't just lose my mom," Sam wipes away a few tears as she takes a breath. "I lost my best friend. I lost the one person that I could talk to about anything and she wouldn't be mad at least not at first." Julian gets up from his seat and stands next to Brooke. Tears were in everyone's eyes. "I don't wish this on anybody, but you don't know what it's like. Yeah, you're parents weren't there all the time, but they were still alive. Mine won't ever be again and I don't know how to handle that." Sam cries out. "I just don't know how."

Brooke and Julian walk over to Sam and bring her into a hug. Sam grabs onto Brooke's hand as she seeks comfort in her father. She didn't want Brooke to feel so out of place in this situation which she was sure that maybe Brooke was.

"Sam, I know someone who has been where you are right now. Normally I would say Peyton, but she was never really close to her mom as you are to yours. My friend Haley lost her mom and she was close to her. I think it's time for you to meet her."

"After you tell us where you were, Brooke went into your room and you weren't there," Julian adds in a serious tone which Sam knew was his professional one. He meant business.

"I was talking to Nicole. I know I shouldn't have left like I did and I apologize for that. I'm sorry."

Brooke lets go of Sam's hand and brings her into a hug of her own.

"You scared me. Don't ever do that again."

Sam pulls away and blushes.

"I won't."

-WLOM-

"I have to be honest. I don't really know much about you."

Brooke had dropped Sam off at Haley's a few minutes ago. Haley had said she had no problem talking to Sam about her own mother's death. She was just glad to have finally met her.

"My dad doesn't really like talking about his personal life."

Haley nods her head in understanding. She was moving around in the kitchen getting lunch ready for them. Jamie was away with his father for the day while Julian and Brooke had some alone time.

"How about you? Do you like to talk about yourself?"

Sam chuckles and shakes her head.

"No, I'm not Brooke," Haley laughs at that. "I haven't been really good at talking. I'm writer not a talker."

"Tree Hill loves writers."

Sam knew she was referring to Lucas.

"Writing was always my escape and now I just don't have the will to write anymore. My mom is gone and she was my biggest fan, next to my dad, I just don't get it."

Haley hands Sam a grilled cheese sandwich. Sam digs into it quickly.

"When my mom died, I was a mess. I close to her. I was the youngest of her many children and even though I knew it was coming, it still didn't help me," Haley takes a sip of her water and then continues. "I fell into a deep depression. My own son couldn't get me out of it. Talking helped, as did getting my frustrations out, but what helped most was time and time is long. I can tell you that you won't ever get over your mother's death Sam, but it gets better with time. The pain that you feel only can heal by living."

Sam continues to eat her lunch with Haley glancing at her every once in awhile. When Sam was done she smiled politely at Haley.

"Thank-you."

"It's my pleasure."

A/N: So, here is the all important author's note that I was talking about earlier.

Somewhere in this chapter I included a lyric from a song entitled Something to Sing About from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Once More with Feeling episode. The readers that can point out which Lyric it is will get to do something special. They will get to pick what happens next. It can be big or it can be small. It can deal with relationships or anything at all, just not another character death because those kind of kick my ass.

Find me a lyric (the correct one) and tell me what you want to see happen next or at some point in this story.

Hint: the lyric is ten words.

Happy Hunting!